Doll Maker
by NovemberDoll
Summary: Everyone searches for the fountain of youth in hopes to know forever. But for those who have been forced to watch the world's endless cycle of living and dying, forever can mean profound loneliness. Forever, you see, can be quite a long time, especially if you thread it alone. (SxK, AU) PREQUEL to Dollhouse.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N:_ **This is an interconnected prequel to Dollhouse. This was actually written shortly after and somehow got forgotten. Found it this morning in my miscellaneous folder. I think this short will still make sense even if you don't read Dollhouse, but I hope you do. (It also gives out a spoiler to how this prequel ends. :P)

Thanks. And I apologize for the imperfect grammar. English is not my first language, so I try the best that I can to get these stories across.

Will be updating the others next week. Its been so busy.

Standard disclaimer applies.

* * *

 _ **Dollmaker**_

 _Chapter 1_

 _A Curious Incident in the Stable_

* * *

-19th Century,

Charleston, South Carolina-

She was five when she had her first flying dream. She would set off from some high elevation, span her hands and allow the wind to carry her to unknown places she had never even thought existed. That was why, when she was nine, it was much to her delight when she was able to hover over the air, not in her dreams but in reality. She burst into the library to break the news. Her Papa was smoking a cigar, her Mama was reading a printed book.

And the girl told them breathlessly, in every single detail, how it all happened.

She was gathering flowers by the edge of the deep ravine when she slipped. And instead of falling to a rocky death, breaking her spine and shattering her skull, she was flying, flying! Just like in her dreams.

Her parents, though, were not as thrilled as she was.

They looked around, eyes wide and wary, and they closed the door of the library, locking them in. Her papa held her hand, her mama knelt before her. And they told her with a cautious whisper that yes, they were happy. She had a unique ability, and there was more to come.

But they also told her that there was this one special thing about them. It made them different from the others, and it would be passed on to her inevitably:

one day, time will lose its influence, and she will stop aging.

They asked her if she could keep it a secret, and if she can also please, never fly again.

They told her the world was not ready. That it was fearful of anything aberrant, that it only loved its own. And anything not of its own, it was cruel and punishing.

She did not understand.

 _Never show yourself to the plantation workers, Kagome, not even a glimpse._

 _We're different,_ her papa said. _And people do not like different._

 _It's just how this world works._

What an odd request, what an odd reasoning. But she kept to her word, because she loved her Mama and Papa.

But she would learn the meaning behind the request, and the weight of the reasoning, one night when the Magnolias bloomed.

And she learned it the hard way.

It was in the dead of the night and she woke up to riotous screaming. It seemed as if the workers were holding a celebration of some sorts on the grounds of the plantation, and she rushed outside, initially concealing herself within the shadows. Torches had been lit, they had gathered under one particular magnolia whose arms lifted the highest to the sky,

And she saw them.

Her dear Mama and Papa, with nooses tied to their necks, hanging lifeless from the high branches of the tree.

She fled for her life. They hunted her down as if she were some kind of animal. They screamed profanities, accusing her of many names.

Demon.

Witch.

Vampire.

And the child could only cry in confusion. She was not any of that, those creatures were mere unfounded legends, emerging from old wives tales, used by angry parents to terrorize their stubborn children who stayed up late in the night.

"The little mistress is yet a child," an old woman reasoned,

"She may look like one, but she is the spawn of those demons!" A worker yelled, the flicker of the torch on his pale face making him look like a demon himself, "When she stops aging she will harvest the blood of our children to maintain her youth… just like those two devils –"

"We would never do such a thing!" the girl vehemently cried out, but it only fell on deaf ears.

"Devil's spawn!"

"Kill her! That girl is an evil curse!"

"What is she going to do now?! Is she going to summon other demons and blight us?!"

"No," The girl shook her head, and she screamed out her pleas. She even knelt before them, begging to be heard. Those horrible accusations, their preposterous implications,

She was not any of that.

She was not any of that at all!

Although she was slightly different, she was a child,

much like any other child,

And her Mama and Papa, although they kept to themselves,

they were much like any other mother or father,

But now they will never smile at her again, never love her again. Their corpses were dangling by their necks on the Magnolia tree.

"Hang her! Hang her and cut off her head, or else she resurrects!"

The workers cornered her to the edge of the dark ravine, closing in.

She stepped back, and with nowhere else to go she leaped into the chasm, darkness swallowing her whole.

At that time, Kagome was twelve.

Such a long time ago it was, yet the passage of the years never blunted the memory of that night. She used her flight to save herself from the fall, and she vowed, ever since, to use that ability only when it was direly important.

But one thing was inevitable, that one thing she dreaded the most. She stopped aging when she reached sixteen. Throughout the next centuries, she found herself as a transient in an ever-changing world. New life emerging, yet everything else was dying.

It was maddening at first, to outlive everything else.

And every day became a useless routine of survival and profound loneliness.

She would never stay in one place for more than two decades in fear of persecution.

And she never did develop any real friendships…

Because whenever she did, the temporary happiness it offered would only leave her with a deeper void in her heart when she had to leave.

And now she was back to the place where everything started, standing on the edge of the ravine that disillusioned her from the world.

No one recognized her, of course, what did she expect?

They were all dead.

Even their children were dead.

And their children's children were old and wrinkled with their eyesight failing them.

And what was left was her, who never really changed.

Someone else had taken over the plantation. But she was not there to reclaim anything, she did not want to have to do with anything of the like. She only came for a short visit, because she was looking for something.

Kagome clutched her large suitcase closer to her person, and she pulled out a crumpled paper from her breast coat. She studied the contents quietly under the full moonlight, the fragrant night breeze hauling in memories of that morbid night.

She brought her gaze to the vast stretch of dark nothingness before her, and she breathed out in tension. From behind her, the Magnolias swayed, bringing in a shower of white blossoms on her solitary form.

Almost three hundred years of existence, and it had been lonely, soul-crushing lonely.

That was why she was willing to deepen the void in her heart yet again,

To find what she was looking for.

It had been so lonely.

Clutching the paper close to her heart she whispered two silent prayers, one to keep her safe in her journey, another in hopes that she would reach her destination in time.

After one last look around, making sure that no one else would witness her flight,

She stepped off the ravine and allowed the air currents to carry her away.

* * *

 _-Four Months Later,_

 _Bedfordshire, England-_

It was a rather lonesome afternoon. Not that all afternoons were routinely lonesome, because it deathly was, but the Master of the Manor thought it was more so than usual.

The gentry man from Arlington Street stopped by to enjoy some tea and a game of chess. And although the Master was not in the mood for a little chat with him, he couldn't really refuse.

The gentry man was one of their family's loyal clients – one of their first clients – who had been under their service for a hundred and twenty-six years.

The Master himself was only eighty, and their family business was a good hundred and fifty.

"Sesshomaru, young lad," his guest suddenly said, "Looks like rain today."

The golden-eyed Master paused from his internal musings and glanced at the window. There was a sudden drop in temperature and a stifling humidity in the air.

And so, like the routinely lonesome afternoon that it was, his guest put on his coat, tipped his hat and bid goodbye for the day.

Relieved from his social duties, the Master waited in his library until the servants had lit the lamps of the hallways. It was at this time when he would open some letters, or read a fine-print book, wait for the sun to set and be summoned for dinner.

But this time, he would walk to the grand windows of the library. He would take a peek at the unusually ominous dusk sky, and he would decide that it was the perfect time to grab his rifle and hunt.

Just a short trip, before the sun would set. Anything after that was absurd, because although he knew he possessed eternal youth, he did not hold preternatural strength. He did not hold deviant abilities… those were reserved for the old families, the really powerful families, and even that was unfounded rumors.

But even if he was, he knew that he, and all of the others who possessed such a… _curse_ … such as his _,_ would still be easily killed by a bullet, or by suffocation,

Or by a hunting accident, where one's horse would be spooked by a scurrying animal and throw the rider off its back, break his neck; instantly severing his life.

He knew, because the latter was what happened to his father quite some time ago, leaving him to run the family business by himself.

"Will you need the hunting dogs, My Lord?" One of his servants bowed as the golden-eyed gentleman emerged from his room in haste, already in his hunting breeches.

"Yes, and I will need two companions." He said as he loaded his rifle by the stairs.

"Very well. I shall inform your favored aides."

The servant disappeared into the manor. And Sesshomaru strode outside, towards the horse that was already prepared for him by the entrance.

It was good that the inner staff was privy to his habits. It saved a lot of frustration, mostly on his part. He was quite aware that he had the reputation of being a cantankerous Lord.

And a good four employees of his shared the same secret as him, but most did not. Nevertheless, their loyalty had already been proven, rooted deep from previous generations. He was lucky enough to inherit such wealth and security from his late father, God bless his soul.

The Master of the Manor lifted his gaze up to the darkening sky.

Rain was starting to fall.

Hopefully, it won't be a lonesome hunt, because it had been such an unusually lonesome afternoon.

* * *

Flight, she thought, although liberating, was quite taxing. Gravity was the constant enemy,

and the fatigue was worse if the journey started four months ago.

Hiding from the world's curious view had also proven to be a problem. That was why most of her flights happened in the evenings, or in dark, gloomy afternoons such as these. She would fly at the highest altitude, just in case someone spotted her, her outline should be vague.

She would like to imagine herself seen as a large bird. If she was high enough, any possible witnesses could not scale her size.

For that large ocean, she took the boat. If she were in populous cities she would take the fancy new steam engine. Such a wonderful contraption it was, although when she first saw it, she was terrified. But it had cut her travel time significantly, she couldn't really complain.

And now she was flying countryside, she knew much by the sparse structures and Stately Houses. But the main reason why the young woman was taking back to flight was that she was running out of money. She only had enough now for a little food until she could reach a city and look for the means to support herself.

She heard there were many townhouses in the metro, and that would mean an abundance of wealth. And wealth would mean clients, and clients would mean commissions.

A single commission was mostly enough to get her through a year if she lived frugally.

Her craft, after all, was special.

She took pride in the thought that there was nothing like it.

Clients, especially the wealthy ones, were willing to pay handsomely for the illusion of forever.

There was a slight tremble in the air and a cool trickle to her skin. A low rumble of thunder rolled throughout the evening sky. As the loose cloth of her cloak flapped against the rush of the wind, and gradually did not, because now, it was soaked, Kagome realized it was probably wiser to cut her journey short.

Rain, unfortunately, did not only dampen her body. It also bogged down her flight.

She scanned the landscape below her to search for a quiet place to take shelter.

And she suddenly heard it,

Her blue eyes widened in fret.

The unmistakable sound of gunfire.

* * *

The horse-mounted party was tracking down a family of white tail deer when the sun had already set. Turning back to the direction of the manor, a sudden flight of birds broke the sky. That wasn't normally a problem, but then the dogs started barking, and the domesticated beasts stopped moving altogether.

They were fixated on the raincloud-riddled heavens.

The rain fell hard, and the only source of light was the gas lantern they had in their hands.

Lighting cut through the sky, in a bright, eerie burst of ethereal blue and white. The hunting party snapped their gazes up as the dogs started raising hell yet again.

"What was that?" One of the master's companion said, strapping the gas lantern on the vertical pole. He had to steady his horse for it became restless, he had to ready his rifle on his experienced hands.

"Probably just a bird," the other companion said, the one with red hair. A smirk broke on his lips, as he pulled on the reins of his equally restless horse. "What's wrong, Miroku? Is our former naval lieutenant spooked by a little birdie?" he teased. But he stopped when he felt the cold muzzle of Miroku's rifle press against his temple.

"What if I spook you with a hole in your impossibly dense head-"

"Shut up, you two." The Master snapped, sparing his companions a quick glare. He then brought his gaze up yet again, his golden eyes searching. It was almost impossible to concentrate, because the infernal barking turned into an unearthly _howling_.

And it was only when lightning burst again was when they saw it.

A large outline, skimming over the air.

"Crikey," The red-haired hunting companion exclaimed, "Not a little birdie, for sure…What do you think it is, My Lord?" he said in a near whisper.

Sesshomaru never answered, he kept his rifle pointed heaven-bound. The golden-eyed lord never tore off his gaze from the sky.

"I would suggest you shut your trap just for a few moments, Shippo," Miroku said. "The master needs to concentrate."

"Hmph," Shippo acknowledged, falling silent.

And not a minute had passed when lightning spilled into the dark heavens, and they realized, the strange bird was larger than they had expected, and it had descended in altitude.

The Master of the Manor pulled his trigger.

The blast of the gunshot bounced against the trees.

* * *

Initially, there was just one blow.

But then there was another, and then another. It did not take long for the woman to realize that she was the target of a hunt- whether for game or out of fear it did not really matter. There was a burning sensation in her midsection, she had been grazed by one of the bullets.

She needed to descend.

She willed her flight faster, it was getting unsteady. As she coasted down, she found that she could not quite control her movements. The combination of the rain, her fatigue, and the big graze on her stomach was what brought her literal downfall. To her horror, she realized she could not tune her landing.

She crashed into a wooden structure, banging her head on some metal wheel. Something _snapped_ in her, and a blinding pain shot from her leg to her spine.

The sleeping horses roused from the fracas, creating a rippling stir throughout the stable.

She tried to crawl away from the rain, dragging her body-sized suitcase with her. But then the world spun around, and it dimmed.

And then everything went dark.

They lingered quietly, still mounted on their horses, wary eyes still fixed on the sky. Their coats were soaked, the lanterns were weakening.

And silence swallowed them, like the monstrous, rainy night that had descended on the earth.

The Master of the Manor brought his weapon down. "Whatever it was, it's gone now."

Miroku chuckled. "That was peculiar."

They were preparing themselves to return home when the dog's ears perked up. The beasts suddenly bolted towards the other direction: this time they were _whimpering_.

Shippo stared at them as they sped off, disappearing into the dark. "Are you sure the dogs are healthy? In the mind, I mean,"

The Master pulled on the reins of his horse and chased after them.

"Sesshomaru!" Miroku called out to his childhood friend.

"They're headed towards the second stable." The Master of the Manor answered, and they stared at his receding form.

"Do you think someone's in there?" Shippo questioned.

It couldn't be possible, the dogs were familiar with the stablehand, and by this time, the old man had already left for home. The second stable was quite a ways from the manor, away from servant's quarters, at the other side of the estate itself.

It was where they housed their prized horses that were up for auction or prepared for derbies and equestrian displays.

"We'll see." Miroku answered, and they followed after the master.

* * *

The dogs had entered first. They were acting awfully strange, as they stepped in with necks low, with tails between their legs, whining like pathetic puppies calling out for their mother. And they continued to do so as they disappeared into the dark structure.

The hunting party entered with their dimmed gas lanterns.

The horses stirred, and the young gentlemen settled their gaze to the direction of the dog's whining. Nearby was a big hole on the roof of the stable, as if something just dropped from the sky and crashed to the ground.

But right beneath the damage, there was nothing.

Did someone attempt to break into the stable and steal the horses?

The Master of the Manor looked around. He knew each horse, and there was no stallion or mare missing.

The rain was finally receding, what was left was a gentle trickle that drummed on the roof. The horses were settling now.

Yet the whining continued.

"Sesshomaru," Miroku suddenly said, standing motionless before a stack of hay, quite a distance from the hole on the roof. "You've got to see this."

The red-haired lad was standing beside Miroku, equally rooted to his spot, holding his lantern light to the item in question.

Sesshomaru paused, and he pondered. It seemed as if his companions had fallen into an eerie trance.

It was only when Shippo caught his breath again did the dead silence recover. "My Lord," the red-head finally said, "She's beautiful."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened ever so subtly.

The Master of the Manor stepped forward, his two companions graciously giving him way. And he settled his gaze to the mysterious item that lay in front of them.

* * *

Nestled in the hay was a sleeping woman. Her creamy, pale skin was emitting a preternatural glow, as if she were bathed in moonlight. Her dark hair stuck to her damp skin, framing a small, beautiful face, and her cheeks were flushed as her lips parted in a pained gasp.

Her soaked clothes stuck to her body, scandalously conforming to her curves.

She had a long gash on her stomach from where blood glistened.

Around her, the dogs had settled protectively beside her sleeping form, whining in concern.

The woman stirred, and the dogs dispersed.

Without any other word, the golden-eyed lord brushed past his companions and stopped before the woman, bringing the light closer to her features.

And he stared at her for long moments.

The woman… she looked like a doll.

A life-sized, living, breathing doll.

Her hands moved. Long, thick lashes fluttered open, and he found himself plunging into eyes of electric blue.

"What is your name?" The Master of the Manor said.

"Kagome," she answered, still so obviously in a daze, bereft of breath and restricted of movement.

"You have trespassed in my private estate." He said. "Are you aware of the consequences?"

The red-haired young aide stepped forward, "My Lord, she is clearly injured."

"When we were distracted with an unusual anomaly, you sneaked into the stable with ill intentions," The golden-eyed Lord continued.

"What," the woman whispered in disbelief, she was still recovering from her fall, still so helplessly disoriented.

"But in the process you injured yourself. And we caught you red-handed."

"Sesshomaru," Shippo said, dropping the honorifics, "these preposterous accusations-" The red-haired hunting aide stepped forward, but a rough hand pulled him back. It was Miroku, giving him a warning to not interfere.

The Master of the Manor watched her with an unorthodox intensity. "But I am forgiving, and I will be lenient," He lifted a haughty chin up, "I shall not report you to the police. Yet I wouldn't think you could possibly afford the monetary fines."

"I don't have money," the woman-doll clutched her head, her eyes still struggling to focus.

The Master of the Manor chuckled, "I thought so. Then you shall pay me through skilled work. You are to stay in my estate until you have covered your debt. "

"It was an accident," her blue eyes widened in confused panic, "I didn't mean to—"

The young lord reached out, and he wrapped a hand around her fragile arm, "Accident or not, you clearly trespassed into my property. Would you rather have me report you to the police?" His fingers dug in her flesh, "I am the lord of this estate, you are subject to my sovereignty. You will stay here, trespasser, and you will do as I bid."

She shook her head, "I have somewhere to go," she said, "I can't afford… to lose such amount of time," she whispered, nodding off into unconsciousness. "So cruel," she started muttering in her somnolence, "Why are people… always so cruel…"

Tears spilled from her incandescent blue eyes, and she fell back into slumber.

"I can't believe this." Shippo grit out, and he glared at Miroku who had been restraining him the whole time. The man released him, but he was equally frowning.

Miroku, who had remained tried to remain level-headed, was quite angered, too. "Sesshomaru," The former war veteran said, reaching out to the woman. "We have to take her to the doctor's quarters."

"Don't touch her." The young lord snapped. His voice held a dangerous warning, his eyes were brighter gold than the gas lantern. He knelt beside her. "I'll take the stray there myself." He slipped a hand underneath her knees, another smoothly under her back, and he lifted her up, ever so gently, careful not to wake her up.

He then stood tall, holding her close to him, covetously close to him,

A very fragile cargo in his arms. "She will be under my watch as she heals."

His companions remained silent, for there was a veiled emotion that flashed in his eyes;

it was one that they had never seen before.

Curious, for the Master of the Manor- difficult to please and quick to find fault- had also been horribly, perpetually bored,

And those eyes that were once filled with ennui and contempt for the ever-changing world

now held a suppressed flare, a heated gaze like gas lantern's flame,

slowly burning brighter as it gazed at the sleeping woman.

For those who knew the Master of the Manor,

The way he looked at her was quite curious, indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I apologize. I'm still trying to get my muses to talk to me because they have been quiet as of late. I've been so busy lately, it's not helping this writing drought in my mind. I'll start slowly again, though, (writing, that is,) so please bear with me. I'm somehow relieved that I finished this draft, at least I'm starting to take baby steps again?

Thank you.

Standard disclaimer applies

* * *

 **Dollmaker**

 _Chapter 2_

 _The Blue-eyed Stray_

* * *

 _"_ _If I live forever, will I get to do everything I want?" The little girl of twelve said as she tore her gaze away from her craft, "Will I have all the time in the world, become anyone I want to be?"_

 _"_ _My little child," her mother reached out and lovingly stroked her hair, "Many people dream of the fountain of youth, but they never realize… a life of eternity is never that simple._

 _And at grim times like this, I worry…_

 _I do worry…"_

 _The girl watched as the depth of her mother's gaze turned unreadable, and she set her fragile little craft on the table, carefully placing her chisel and paint on a safe place. She walked to her mother and cradled her pale, eternally youthful hands._

 _She had eavesdropped into her Mama and Papa's hushed conversation in the quiet of the evening, when they thought she had gone to bed. They spoke about the inquisitions, of the accusations, of the hangings and guillotines of their kind._

 _Such a fearful world they lived in, such an ominous time. She knew that whoever had survived the hunts had hidden in the shadows, if there were even any of them left._

 _"_ _Don't worry about me, mama," she gave her a reassuring smile, "I will keep myself wary, I shall never allow myself to be revealed. And if I do not find a companion to stay by me as the days wither by, I will always have you and Papa._

 _You will never leave me, right?"_

 _"_ _That is right," Her mother said as she gathered her in her arms, "We will never leave you._

 _Forever…_

 _We will stay beside you forever._

 _My child… I hope and pray, that you never get to spend eternity alone."_

She roused from her little dream, in the comfort of soft down cushions and smooth cotton linens. The blue-eyed woman looked around the bedchamber, and her heart ached a little from the familiarity of the set-up.

Rococo-style furniture sprawled across the large room. Silks and cotton, the fragrance of rain and pine drifting from the open gold-plated window.

It had been so long since she was surrounded by such lavish extravagance. The only time she could recall being in a place like this was when her mama and papa still existed, in their quaint dwelling in the Magnolia Plantation, a monstrous three hundred years ago.

Images of their bodies hanging on the Magnolia tree flashed through her mind.

 _"_ _Forever…_

 _We will stay beside you forever."_

She bit her tongue to distract herself, she concentrated on the smell of coming rain, the calm of the looming thunderstorm.

 _"_ _My child… I hope and pray, that you never get to spend eternity alone."_

A low rumble finally broke from the skies. It sounded like a distant, sonorous groan, and the blue-eyed woman tried to comprehend her surroundings. Her head throbbed. There was a dull ache to her side, and she reached out to her midsection: there was a curious constricting feeling, wound tight across her chest, down to her stomach.

The graze on her side had been tended to: it seemed as if someone had performed an operation.

Someone shifted from beside her, and she jerked in surprise.

"The throbbing of your head is a side effect of the anesthesia," an unfamiliar voice said from the corner of the room, "It will subside in a few hours. It would take about four months for your leg to completely heal. For the first two weeks you shall need bed rest, by the second we should start to rehabilitate your faculties."

Upon the mention of her injuries she moved, and a dull pain came creeping from her leg, up to her spine.

She whimpered.

The woman pushed her covers away. She stared at her stiff extremity: it was splinted and bandaged up to her knee.

Kagome turned to see the source of the voice.

It was a young gentleman, looking about nineteen to twenty years of age. He had unbelievably fair hair it looked the color of snow, a tall structure, a lean build.

His intense golden eyes regarded her very carefully. "If you don't trust my credits, let it be known that I am trained as a medical physician."

He had the face of a nobleman. His poise and stature as he sat on the _Rococo_ -style furniture, with his legs crossed and his chin resting on his fist only confirmed to her that he was from aristocratic breeding.

His gaze was intimidating, if not, belittling. If she were any other young lass, she would have shrunk under his scalding stare.

But she was not any other young lass. She was a woman who had witnessed and lived through half of the 17th century _Renaissance_ , had treaded through the period of Enlightenment, and was still trying to adapt to the customs and changes of the newly-dawned 19th century.

Concerns for her modesty surfaced in her mind. If he had performed the bullet extraction, he would have seen her naked waist up?

But she shook off all embarrassment, and she stared at the boy sitting nonchalantly across her.

He was in the prime of his youth.

In her eyes, he was yet another young man, one of the many young men that passed by uneventful in her lonely life. Beautiful, remarkable, but his face and this fleeting memory, bound to be buried in the depths of the unfathomable abyss of time.

"I do not doubt you," She finally said. "Why are you helping me?"

His flawless face cracked into an elegant frown. "Helping? Perhaps you have forgotten, little _stray_ , of the crime you committed three nights ago."

"What," Kagome clutched her head, the throbbing from the anesthesia was growing to be quite a nuisance. A hazy memory of the snow-haired man introducing himself as the lord of the estate, his trespassing accusations, an accord of her payment which she really did not agree to, it all came back to her, and her eyes widened in panic.

Had it been three nights?

The memory of a letter she had received from London, four months ago, surfaced in her clearing mind, and her heart quickened in pace. "I didn't agree to anything-" she started, and she attempted to stand but the terrible pain came shooting back. She recoiled like a frightened snake into the corner of her bed, hissing in pain. "My Lord, I cannot make such a commitment. There is somewhere else I have to be,"

"You can't accomplish much with that broken leg." The golden-eyed man said, "Are you not grateful?" He lifted his haughty chin up, "You should be thankful for my kindness, because I never am usually this lenient.

Your breaking into the stable has led to the escape of two of my most prized horses. The worth in total is more than a lifetime of skilled service you can offer to my estate.

But since I am in a kind mood I will not let you work under heavy labor. I will appoint you as one of the handmaidens of the manor,"

"But I cannot stay!

My Lord, I had no ill intentions, I was only passing by-"

"In MY territory?" He stood up, his golden eyes heavy with ennui, and some other emotion- annoyance? "Surely someone as insignificant as you would have recognized a well-manicured estate?"

Kagome buried her face on her hands and restrained herself. What was wrong with this boy?

Did he think he could own anyone like property with just a snap of his finger?!

People were all the same… everyone taking advantage, everyone so very cruel. And if there were pure-hearted people they would always end up getting the short end of the straw in life. Such was a fate that had bothered her miserable existence, it broke her heart.

But the pain in her immobile leg served as a cruel reminder of her own fate. She was out of provisions, she ran out of resources. The next city was weeks of flight before her, cut down to one if she took the steam engine.

But she couldn't even do any of that without the money.

If she wanted herself to heal faster, if she wanted to reach her destination, she would have to tighten her britches and endure with this spoiled, unreasonable nobleman for a couple of weeks.

By then she would have healed. She was unlike any other, anyway… she always healed faster than the others. Other than flight, she had more abilities she had discovered throughout the years… it would be more than enough to make her exit when she was ready.

Yes, she will do that.

But she still had a conscience, and this damn conscience of hers riddled her with guilt and a sense of obligation: He talked about the horses.

How about the 'payment' for his lost horses, as the Master of the Manor so adamantly insisted?

Her father, once upon a time, had a stable of his own at the edge of the Magnolia Plantation. He kept a collection of the most expensive, exotic breeds -she would even help him out every morning as he brushed their coats and stroked their muzzles. He loved them as if they were his own children!

Her father would have been heartbroken if he lost one of those beasts. And so Kagome remained indecisive. She couldn't just leave the lost horses be.

An idea came into mind. How about she offered him her _craft_? It was worth equally, if not _more_ , to derby horses anyway?

* * *

He tried to pull himself together, reeled in by the sight of the girl's tears.

He had related to women before, in business and in intimate affairs. He even raised a younger immortal some forgotten time ago. So why was he finding it so hard to deal with this stray girl?

She looked about the age of his ward Rin. And the servants of the manor- even the immortal that the gentry-man was pushing for him to marry-

They all looked as young as she. But it was unusually difficult to control himself, especially when she looked at him with those eyes.

A deep, spellbinding electric blue-

It held something… profound… he could not help but get caught in whatever witchcraft she was weaving.

And the Master of the Manor's jaw clenched in anger. This probably was witchcraft! He will have to consult Sango later on.

But for now he was having a hard time comprehending. This stray, who came with tattered peasant clothing and a large suitcase that weighed as if there was nothing inside- how could she refuse his offer?

It was a life that she couldn't have even imagined. She would be one of his personal handmaidens - assisting him with little tasks that won't even require her to put strain on her arms, fix his clothing, pour his tea…

perhaps she was too impoverished to even know what he was offering her?

He tried to calm himself down. He did not want to be riled up and spent, if he was to be in the afternoon hunt a little while from now.

"What do you do for a living?" he said as he strode towards her bedside.

She looked up to him as his shadow loomed over her small, young figure…

and golden eyes drowned yet again in her electric blue.

He had to suppress the delicious shiver that went down his spine. There was something in her proximity that made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle… there was a certain… power… in her energy.

He tried to laugh it away. A tender young girl of ten and six, holding such against an eighty-year-old immortal like him? Preposterous!

Maybe it was just lust?

It had been a while, after all, when he last bedded a woman.

Yes, perhaps it was lust. He stared at her robust little figure, unaware of the melting gaze he was giving off. He could barely remember the scent of a beautiful woman's sweat-slick skin, of full hips grinding against each other, of guttural moans and soft cries of pleasure…

And at that very moment, it was the image of him -connected deep inside the young stray as she cried out his name- that occupied his unbridled imaginations.

The young lady shifted in discomfort, "I have this… avocation," she said, very softly, the remnants of her tears glistening on the corners of her eyes, "Perhaps, My Lord, you would be interested in this form of payment?

My clients… they pay handsomely for this service of mine,

Once I am finished they never regret."

A vain brow raised, as he leaned closer to her, his eyes fixated on her plump, pink lips, "I will never regret?" he said, the bed dipped down as he sat beside her.

Her cheeks flared into flower red as he hovered close.

"How long does this… service… of yours usually last?" he crooned in her ear, his breath hot and heavy on her skin.

She tried to slow down her breaths, it was getting pretty stifling with this intimate closeness, "Four weeks," she whispered this time. She slowly pulled away, but her back pressed against the headboard, giving her no means of escape.

His lips ghosted hers oh so close-

"Then how about we start now?" he said, and his hands reached for her back. He pulled on the laces of her dress, he leaned forward to take her lips on his.

The crisp sound of a healthy slap filled the tensely quiet room.

* * *

"You thought she was a _prostitute_?" Shippo blurted out, his grip to the saddle loosening. He was fixing his Master's horse for the afternoon hunt but he found it to be utterly distracting-

"Not only that," Miroku added, shoving the red-head with his elbow, "He thought she was propositioning him.

He actually went ahead and proceeded to undress the poor girl-"

Shippo's gaze drifted from the saddle to his Master's face, which held the unmistakable mark of a handprint. "Blimey! That's hilarious!" Shippo reeled back and guffawed into a most uncouth, unrestrained laughter.

The white-haired Master frowned in discomfort, as he snatched the saddle from the redhead's hands and arranged the contraption himself. "What was I to think?" Sesshomaru said in defense, abnormally fixated on the buckles, "She was speaking about clients and service!"

"It could mean a _lot_ of things," Miroku regarded him with a teasing look. The former naval officer climbed on his mare, "Unless at that time you were only thinking of doing _that.."_

Sesshomaru reached over and tried to shove Miroku off his horse, but the war veteran laughed and pulled the reins and the scurried out of arm's reach.

"Well so much for a good welcome. Now you have unwittingly announced to us your real intentions for keeping her-"

"I am _not_ keeping her for such a purpose!" Sesshomaru scoffed, mounting his stallion and riding up to him, "She is just a mortal girl." he said, his tone suddenly subdued.

Sesshomaru was silenced, and a gust of cold wind rushed by. The Master of the Manor brought his gaze to his stately house, to the windows of the room beside his.

"Ready?" Shippo galloped towards him.

But the Master of the Manor did not answer. So enamored he was on the sight on the window that he did not notice Shippo passing on his rifle, he did not hear the clash it made as the weapon fell neglected on the ground.

Shippo huffed in immature frustration and dismounted his horse, he picked up the rifle and tried to hand it to the golden-eyed gentleman. "Master," he summoned one more time, still the Master's gaze was on the windows.

Curious, the red-head shifted his eyes to his Master's line of sight. _She_ was looking down at them, the pretty little _stray,_ her hopelessly blue eyes piercing in the bleak, dismal afternoon.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood. There it was again, that odd feeling, that powerful _hold_ … as if her mere presence held a certain gravity, as if her look commanded his ultimate attention.

"Kit,"

The red-head was jolted from his thoughts. The Master of the Manor had apparently broken from his trance, but his golden gaze was not on the stray but on _him_.

"Why do you look at her with such curious intensity?"

Shippo felt the soft taps of light rainfall on his hair, on his skin. His brows met in confusion, what did the Master just ask him?

"Why… do you look at her that way? You are already bound to my ward."

Such a strange question from a stoic, emotionless man, it left the red-head at wit's end. How could he decipher such an inquiry? But the Master's tone sounded almost _accusatory_ … until Miroku suddenly threw an extra hunting rifle at the snow-haired man, cutting the invisible string of tension between them.

"We better get moving," Miroku said, "Else the deer start to find shelter from the progressing rain. Sesshomaru, you lead the hunt."

With one last glare to the red-head, the Master of the Manor pulled on the reins of his horse and dashed away, disappearing into the thick woods.

Shippo absently turned to Miroku, the neglected rifle still in his hands. "What was that all about?"

Miroku shooked his head, "Still too young to decipher the ways of our complicated Lord?"

Shippo glared at him as he mounted his horse, "That's why I'm asking you."

Miroku steadied his horse, it was becoming restless. "I may not be quite sure, but let me give you a word of advice. Refrain from staring at the pretty little stray."

A mad blush spread across Shippo's cheeks, "I hold no such lecherous thoughts against her. I'm a married man!"

Miroku shook his head, "I know you are fiercely devoted to Lady Rin, there is no question about that. But still, refrain from staring at the stray…" He looked up to the upper levels of the stately house, where the doll-like figure sat by the window, "I grew up with Sesshomaru. And I have never seen him completely enamored with anything else… not until now."

When Shippo threw him a confused look, Miroku sighed. "It looks like our Master is smitten."

The redhead's eyes widened, realizing what his friend had just said. "She is… undeniably beautiful."

"It looks like we're entering the beginning of a sad tragedy," Miroku continued, "You and I are extremely lucky to have our companions share the same curse as ours."

Shippo's hardened gaze turned into one of melancholy. "It does not matter. Whatever happens, we will never leave the Master's side.

He never left Rin's, he never left mine."

Miroku straightened his posture and nodded, and he tapped the horse gently with his heel as it started to move.

"Miroku," Shippo called out, and the former naval lieutenant had to pause.

He gave the red-head a questioning glance.

"Before we reunite with the Master, will you satisfy this curiosity of mine? I cannot ask the Master himself, seeing his possessive regard with the blue-eyed stray."

"What is it, lad?" Miroku steadied the reins of his mare.

Then Shippo hesitated, as he stared at the window of the mansion where the woman was standing.

She still looked like a doll-woman,

How could one have such perfect features? It was as if she held some kind of eerie curse.

If only the curse would be like theirs; the possession of _eternal youth_ ,

Then he would not have this sinking feeling in his old soul,

Thinking of the heartbreak that awaited the generous Master of the Manor.

"What was the stray offering to the Master?" Shippo finally asked. "What is her trade, her so-called avocation… that is worth more than prized derby horses?"

"Dolls." Miroku said,

"She is a _dollmaker._ And according to her,

Her dolls are unlike any other."

* * *

"Where are you from?" The woman named Sango said as she poured her guest a cup of hot tea. She tried to study the girl sitting quietly on the bed… there was something… off about her, something heavily substantial it made her goosebumps rise.

Perhaps she was just troubled by how her presence commanded the attention of whoever stood before her, perhaps it was the depth of mystery in her hopelessly blue eyes.

"Nowhere, everywhere," the blue-eyed woman said. She stood by the window that overlooked the courtyard, tilting her ankle here and there, testing the newfound mobility of her splinted leg.

Sango waited for a continuation, but she was met with silence. She sighed at the vague front the woman presented.

"Surely you had to come from _somewhere_ -"

"I wish I could say," the stray said, "But none of it would matter." She held back. After she was done with her promised commission, she will have to leave, anyway. There was no point in establishing connections,

And she had to haste, because her time was running out.

"Aye," Sango continued, "You have to be honest with me, little lassie, if you came here just to seduce our young lord. It happens quite often, you see,"

"I would never do such a thing," Kagome shook her head, scandalized. She did a double-take at the noble-looking woman, "Why would I want to seduce that puerile little lord of yours?" She was about to clam up and deny her any satisfaction of an answer when there was a soft giggle by the entryway to her room.

A young lady, dressed in the same intricate lace and tulle dress, with short black hair and sunset eyes stood by the doorpost, covering her smiling lips, restraining her laugh. " _Puerile_ little lord?" she strode forward, thoroughly amused at the description. "Are you saying my guardian is an infantile little brat?"

"Shoot me if I assumed otherwise, but he is sure acting like one." Kagome held her tongue, careful with her words so as not to offend. She stared at the young woman for moments. She seemed to be the youngest of this strange household, it seemed like she had just blossomed into the peak of her youth.

"My name is Rin," she said, and she settled beside the older woman, "And this is Sango. I do know your name is Kagome," she gave her a little curtsy, and she sat beside the wary woman. "My husband Shippo and I, and the Lord and Lady Hoshi will be leaving tonight for Yorkshire. We shall probably stay there a week or two, for matters of the estate. Please do not be discouraged by his cantankerous behavior,

My guardian means well. And Lord Sesshomaru has designated you as a guest, it is only proper that I—"

"I am not a guest," Kagome said, distancing herself from the girl's warm welcome. "I am his temporary slave, to heed his every beck and call until I complete my payment."

Rin shook her head and softly sighed, "You are a guest, else the Master of the Manor would have stationed you with the servants on the other side of the estate." She stood from the bed, she paced around the lavish bedchambers. She ran her fingers along the porcelain figurines, the soft lace drapery, "And I would assume you are a very special guest, seeing that he decided to settle you in this room."

She took a gilded photo-frame at the rococo table, and she ran her fingers on the picture that was sealed in it.

"It's his mother's maiden bedchambers," Sango provided, "He kept it as pristine as she left it, when she passed away from childbirth."

The blue-eyed woman did not know what to make of the statement. So she remained silent, what else could she do? His implied fondness was quite strange.

"When he brought me to the Manor, I even asked Lord Sesshomaru if I could have this particular room," Rin said, gently placing the picture frame back on the marble, "It's quite pretty, don't you agree? I told him some time ago, that any young woman would love to stay here forever.

But he never granted my request, even if he loved me like his own.

I'm quite envious of you, Kagome." She smiled, "Your presence is like a breath of fresh air in this lonely Manor."

Kagome slowly, subtly rubbed her shoulders together, disturbed by the young woman's implications. She was speaking as if their Master had decided to keep her in the household, which was very unlikely, seeing how annoyed he was with her presence. She decided to shrug off the girl's warm welcome, when Sango cleared her throat in attempts to shift the conversation.

"So what is this craft that you talk about," Sango strode towards the blue-eyed stray.

"I make dolls," Kagome said, "Lifelike, ball-jointed dolls."

Rin's eyes widened in innocent curiosity, "Can you show me one of your creations?"

The blue-eyed woman pointed to the large suitcase, and Rin scurried eagerly to retrieve it. Once it was before her, the blue-eyed stray opened her chest-like suitcase and her audience's eyes widened in wonder.

There were different craft blades and dremels, hooks and clay templates, eerily accurate anatomical sketches, but what seized their attention was the two miniature dolls sitting at the corner of the chest.

"They almost seem… alive." Rin abruptly turned to the dollmaker, and Kagome nodded her head, instantly knowing what she wanted.

The young ward reached out and picked up one of the dolls, the woman, and she held her breath as it sat on her hands. Rin barely moved, afraid that the slightest jerk would _wake_ the doll into life.

Sango bent down and picked up the male doll, the weight was substantial, the details… so eerily human-like it sent a cold shiver down her spine.

They both settled the dolls, side-by-side on the rococo table, and took a step back.

From the ends of the doll's hair, to the tips of their feet, every detail was intensely thought out, every stroke and whisper of paint so uncannily realistic. Their perfectly proportioned bodies, flesh-like limbs, eyelashes that covered glossy, wistful eyes…

"This was modeled after my father," Kagome finally said, as she leaned over and picked up the beautiful male with blonde, wavy hair and hopelessly blue eyes, "And this doll, modeled after my mother." She gingerly cradled a kimono-clad doll with straight, black hair and elegant, cat-like eyes. "They were murdered on a spring night, accused of a most horrible crime they did not commit.

It left me without family since I was ten and two.

And now I find a most surprising correspondence, of a possible relative in the newly established City of London.

That would have been my destination, had I not accidentally stumbled upon your Master's estate."

The blue-eyed dollmaker lifted her gaze to the two silent females.

"I have to finish my commission. I promised to get my work done in four weeks, but the truth is, I have to fulfill my payment to your Lord maybe no more than a fortnight.

My relative, as what I have gathered, is suffering a debilitating illness,

I might not reach him in time."

* * *

"Why don't you just pardon her ridiculous debt?" Rin straightened her ruffled petticoat, plumped her pressed fascinator. Suitcases were stacked idle on the large doorway, the rain was mercilessly pounding outside the manicured court. Shippo went to the stables to prep the horses before her, she waited patiently for her carriage.

"She might run from her debt."

Rin paused, and she turned around, to the tall figure that was her guardian. He was leaning by the pillar of the marble staircase, his pipe on the tip of his lips, the smoke from his tobacco slanting like a liquid spirit, swaying to the golden light of the tinderboxes that surrounded the manor, slithering into the darkness.

"Why don't you just permit her leave, maybe once or twice a week to search for her relative?"

The Master of the Manor shifted. He loosened his ascot, as if in petty frustration. "What's with the sudden interrogation?" He strode towards her small figure by the doorway, the cold of the evening chilling his bones. "Are you questioning my decisions?"

"I never knew you to be so… callow."

The master raised an amused brow. " _Callow_?"

"If I would have known, you're holding her here because you fret that she will run and disappear."

The Master of the Manor chuckled, he reached out and messed the young lady's hair. It tipped her fascinator, tousled the pins that secured her pretty hair in place.

"Ah," she fussed, swatting her guardian's hand away.

The gentleman with golden eyes chuckled. "What nonsense are you sputtering?" he withdrew and took a long drag from his pipe. He blew again, releasing the fluid like smoke from his lips, "How could I harbor such emotions, to a stranger I barely know?"

Thunder rumbled from outside, followed by a flash of deliberate lightning. Unbeknownst to him, his ward was quietly watching him and the eerie plays light on his golden eyes.

It remained unreadable,

Stoic, unfathomable.

Such a puzzling man the Master of the Manor was,

How well he hid his emotions.

"And besides, she is mortal." He rubbed his cheek, still red from the stray's slap mark, "And a feisty one at that."

The sound of hooves drifted into the courtyard, Rin pushed down her lopsided hat. "It all starts with attraction, Lord Sesshomaru," she teased, "Didn't you taunt me with that, right before Shippo started courting me? And judging from the looks of yours, you are already set on a hopelessly doomed path." She turned to him and gave him a soft look. "Maybe start by treating her as a guest, not as a captive." She gave him a playful wink.

He shook his head and chuckled, he nodded to his beloved ward as she kissed his cheek and waved goodbye. She ran into her carriage and settled herself in the coach with her waiting husband.

He acknowledged the footmen and servants, and they loaded her bags quietly.

* * *

When the fuss had ceased and all was quiet, he took one last drag from his tobacco pipe, and turned towards the inside of his lavish manor.

He drifted his gaze, up towards the double staircase, to the figure that stood in the middle of the landing.

"I was summoned by one of your servants." She said, and he didn't realize he had been holding his breath until he released a tense puff of his inhaled tobacco.

Instead of her peasant clothes, the stray had borrowed some of his ward's clothing, for there was no other figure that came closer to her size. But she was more robust than the young Rin,

Her swells and curves had filled her dress more than she intended to.

"How was your afternoon rest?"

"Timely," she admitted, "My flesh and muscles still ache," she held her little waist in discomfort, "And the bind of the corset is not helping with the pain, but everything is tolerable." She stopped, waiting for him to answer.

He only continued to stare at her intently, and it was quite unsettling.

"You requested my presence for dinner?" her voice drifted through the echoing lobby.

"Yes." Was all he said.

The snow-haired master watched her closely as she brought her womanly figure down the stairs, across the entryway, and presented herself before him.

She brought her blue gaze up, for she was a wee little figure beside his dominating stature. "Then I am here," she gave him a courteous little curtsy. "Good evening, My Lord."

Perhaps satisfying his lust was reasonable enough, the Master of the Manor thought, as the fire in his golden eyes burned brighter than any tinder-lamp that was situated in the stately house.

He had done it before, after all,

Flattering a woman, with his only intentions for sex.

He would satisfy himself and be done with…

It would be as hell as easy with this fragile little temptress, and after he will have his fill he could rid himself of this strange… infatuation.

Rin would surely be displeased.

He would probably hear a long lecture from his childhood friend Miroku.

He needed to get this woman out of his thoughts, without binding himself to her.

But the Master of the Manor withdrew from his lascivious thoughts, and for a moment, he was quite ashamed of himself.

He was no incapable gentleman, he had more decency than that.

And he will not have anything to do with such a mortal, no matter how strong the pull of his lust was towards the young temptress. He could not afford to associate himself with such transience.

He had seen how falling in love with a mortal had done to his half-brother,

How it had affected his own father.

"My Lord," came the soft call.

She had already walked a few paces away, she was looking back at him with those incandescent blue eyes.

"No honorifics," he said, strangely said, he had not meant for such a request to come out. But the sound of his title seemed so distant, "Sesshomaru," he said, and it seemed as if she paused. "Address me by my first name."

"Sessh-" she trailed off, her brows meeting in a frown. She was quite in a dilemma, obviously discomfited at the intimate regard. "Lord Sesshomaru," she finally settled, unable to utter the informality he proposed.

He strode past her, and she followed as he led her into the manor, towards the lit hallways that supposedly led to the dining hall.

The Master of the Manor dipped his hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the right direction. He felt her shiver a little at the close contact, and he couldn't help but revel in his arousal.

She shifted a little, distancing herself from him as they resumed their quiet walk.

The Master of the Manor looked out to the dark, rainy heavens outside of his grand hallway windows, trying to distract himself from the drumming sound of the rain.

He did not want to disappoint his ward, did not want to be the receiving end of his childhood friend's lectures.

And he slid his hands inside his pockets, keeping them in any form of restraint,

for he realized:

Unlike the other transient women that passed him by, he could not keep his hands off the beautiful, blue-eyed stray.


End file.
